To be in Love
by Sheila Bryant
Summary: Richard and Emily one shot, set sometime post S7s I'd rather be in Philadelphia.


**_Disclaimer_**_  
All recognizable Gilmore Girls characters belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and the WB. I use these characters & their story without permission, but am not making any profit from the copyrighted characters. No infringement is intended._

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"Emily?"

She turned towards his voice, the full length skirt of her dark green dress gracefully moving with her. Watching him walking down the stairs, she smiled as she saw him messing with his bow tie and held out her hands. "Let me."

Expertly tying the two ends into a perfect bow, she did not look into his eyes when she asked, "So, why are you not complaining?"

He studied her features, his brow furrowed. "I beg your pardon?"

Glancing up for a moment, she smiled, fixing her eyes on his bow tie again, making sure it was straight. "This is the third party I have dragged you to this week and none of those events were fun for you but you still have yet to complain."

"I will not complain."

"Hmm. So you decided to sulk in self-pity?" She smiled teasingly.

"Not at all."

"All right." Emily placed both her hands on his chest and looked up at him. "There you go."

He bent down and gently kissed her cheek. "Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome." She smiled, searching his eyes.

Richard covered her hands with his. "What?"

Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a questioning look. "Are you sure you don't want to complain?"

"Yes, I am sure." He brought her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

She watched him, smiling. "Care to tell me why?"

"Is it that unlikely of me not to?" He did not let go of her hands but just pressed them against his chest while he waited for her to answer.

Shrugging, she nodded. "Yes, actually it is."

"Well, what about you just keeping quiet and enjoying it then?" Richard bent his head lower, looking deep in her eyes.

She smiled, kissing him lightly on the lips. "You know I do that very seldom."

"Yes; I remember last night." He grinned.

A shocked expression crossed her face. "Richard!?"

"What?" He raised his eyebrows, grinning boyishly. "Do you want to complain?"

She looked away, smiling.

"I thought so." He kissed her temple. "Now, are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, I just need to get my coat and I'm all set."

"Let me get it for you, dear."

She watched him as he went to fetch their coats, shaking her head in disbelief.

Dinner was over and the crowd was slowly leaving their tables to move to the ballroom.

Looking around, Emily nodded her head to Marnie Luxmave when she felt Richard's hand on her back. She looked up at him, watching him greet Marnie in an equal manner as she had and met his eyes.

"Would you like to dance?"

She smiled up at him. "I'd love to."

Letting her link her arm to his, he led her to the dance floor when the band began playing a slow tune. He pulled her close, smiling at her. "It seems we have perfect timing."

"Indeed." She let her hand glide from his shoulder to rest against his chest.

His smile widening, he brought their entwined hands to rest above his heart. "Have I told you lately that you look wonderful tonight?"

"I think the last time was about two hours ago." Emily teased.

"Well, that only shows that I can't say it often enough."

Their gazes locked, she let him sway her to the music, enjoying the moment.

"I'm still trying to figure out why you have not said a word about all the social events I have made you go to in the past weeks."

Richard rolled his eyes animatedly. "Can't you just let that go?"

"No?" She knew him too well to buy his annoyance.

He let his hand run down her arm, sneaking it around her slim waist. "Well, these events are important to you. You are important to me. So that's that."

The joy his words made her feel let her heart flutter. Unable to keep the huge grin off her face, she rested her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes. "Took you awfully long to see that," she mumbled, feeling him gently rubbing his hand over her back.

The band faded into yet another slow song when Emily pulled away again slightly to meet her husband's eyes. "I think I'm beginning to like the new Richard."

"Do you?" He grinned. "I thought you did not want me to become one of those ... how did you put it ... 'I had a heart attack, let me express my every thought types'."

"Oh, now. You are not trying to hold that against me, are you?" She raised her eyebrow.

Chuckling, he shook his head. "I would never. Even though I was a bit saddened when you said that to me."

"Well, I was just trying to keep you from doing something silly... I guess." Emily tried to explain.

He cocked his head to one side. "You guess?"

"It was an emotional moment." She shrugged.

Nodding, he agreed. "Yes, it was."

She looked down, fixing her eyes on one of his shirt buttons. "I didn't want you to say something you might regret later." Looking back up, she added, "You know how Lorelai is."

"Yes, I know how she is." His smile was as gentle as his voice.

Shrugging, she went on. "And I am not used to you being like that."

"Emotional?" He teased, chuckling lightly.

Emily nodded. "Not towards our daughter. Not since she was 5 and you almost had a mental breakdown because of that bleeding knee."

"She didn't stop crying." He remembered the way he had felt as his little girl had clung to him, her small frame shaking with every sob.

She shrugged. "She was hurting."

"It got me upset to see her hurt," he defended himself.

"I know." Gently patting his chest, she soothed him. Letting her hands glide up his chest, she snuck them behind his neck. "Now that I think about it, it was actually very sweet of you to get so upset."

His eyes sparkled in amusement. "I thought you hated me for it."

"In that moment I was angry at you, yes," she admitted.

"I think I deserved it."

Nodding, Emily went on. "It was hard enough to deal with _one_ hysterical child."

"I was not hysterical." He felt her fingers toying with the short hair on the base of his neck.

The corner of her mouth curled up, amused that he had not commented on her calling him a child. "Because I did not let you."

"Well..."

A smile spread across her face; she got him.

"I was always able to count on you when it came to my emotions, wasn't I?" His smile mirrored hers.

"And you still can," she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

Bending his head a little, he whispered back, "I know."

They shared a silent moment, lost in each other's gaze.

"Emmy?"

"Hmm?"

His grin widened, his eyes still not leaving hers. "I am overwhelmed by a feeling again."

"Oh?" She cocked her head to the side, smiling knowingly.

Seeing the delight in her eyes, he nodded.

"Can I help you?" She batted her lashes innocently.

Bending his head lower, he shook his head slightly. "No, I think it's hopeless."

"Is it?" Her gaze traveled down to his mouth, then back to his eyes.

"Yes." Brushing his lips across her cheek, he brought his mouth close to her ear. "I'm hopelessly in love with you." Hugging her closer, the crowd around them long forgotten by both, he added, "and I always will be."

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_**Author's Note: **Well, I wrote this one-shot a while ago and simply forgot to post it... I hope you liked it and I'll try to update my chapter story in a couple of days. ... What else ... oh yes: REVIEW!! ;o)_


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